home is a fire
by Dark K. Sly
Summary: It's not about romance. It's about family.
1. Chapter 1

**home is a fire**

**chapter one**

It all boiled down to the fact that Stiles was sick and tired of Jackson whining about not having found his _blood family_, as if blood made it any less complicated, and if blood ties meant more than the love of taking care of his sorry ass for seventeen freaking years.

Or maybe it all boiled down to the fact that, no matter what, John Stilinski would _always_ be his father, no matter what any blood tests could say.

Or maybe it all boiled down to the fact that he loved his mom and his dad, and he didn't think he needed anyone else.

Or maybe it was just that he needed to get this all out before it ended up suffocating him, because it smelt like a secret, even if it wouldn't make a difference for anyone in any pack.

Or so he thought.

It went down pretty much the way Stiles knew it would: the Alpha pack had been defeated with a lot of blood and injuries and angst and manpain on the part of all werewolves. If it hadn't been for Lydia making Aidan change his game plan, leave his evil twin and betraying the Alpha pack to become a Beta of Derek's, they wouldn't have won at _all._

Also, if he hadn't caught onto Jennifer Blake and her Darach ways, Derek would have been food for the evil druid (druidess? whatever), and so he had saved Derek, Derek had saved everyone, Scott wasn't really a part of the _pack, _but he had an alliance with Derek, and everything was sort of okay – they weren't exactly a big happy family, but it was definitely looking better than it had in the past three months.

That's when Jackson thinks it's okay to come back – when the mess is solved and everything's okay. When they don't need any more help, when Lydia is _happy again_ with Aidan.

_That_ is when Jackson comes back.

Derek takes him into the pack, because he's the Alpha, and that's what he has to do.

And with Jackson comes the whining, that he hadn't managed to _connect_ with his blood family, that he hadn't managed to really _find himself_.

What an idiot.

So there they are, at Derek's loft for an update of the going-ons of the town, when Jackson makes a remark about his dad – the person who _adopted_ him, who _chose_ to be his _father_ – and Stiles just… _snaps_.

Maybe because things haven't been good with his dad with all the lying, maybe because he _knows_ who the serial killer was, and his dad still doesn't, maybe because he wants to help _more_, but instead he is only ever making it more difficult.

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the problem is not your parents, but _you_?"

Jackson snarls at him and Derek growls back in warning, but the blond doesn't really take any physical action.

"What do _you_ know, Stilinski? You have no idea what I'm going through."

"Actually, I do, because I'm adopted, and honestly? All that matters is that I love my dad, and he loved me enough to keep me. And you are hurting your parents and yourself with all this stuff about birth parents. They are _dead_, Jackson, they didn't give you up because they didn't _want_ you, but because they couldn't be here anymore, be grateful for what you have for a change, and stop trying to make everything about you."

There's a moment of silence in the room, when everyone is looking at him, and he takes in a deep breath.

"Dude, since when are you adopted?" Scott asks, and Stiles smiles ruefully, shaking his head.

"I don't want to talk about it. But yeah, I am. And it's not because my biological father _died_, it's because he didn't even stick around for long enough to know I exist, so."

No one answers to that, even though they are obviously curious about it, and eventually they leave.

Stiles stays behind because his dad has the nightshift again, he doesn't want to be alone, and Scott is going to hang out with Isaac and Allison tonight.

He's on the couch, looking out the window when Cora comes and sits beside him, not saying anything. Derek is at the table, pretending to read, but his eyes haven't moved for at least fifteen minutes.

Stiles sighs.

"My dad was ten years older than mom when they met. She was fifteen, he was twenty-five, already a deputy, and mom was a school girl. He didn't ask her out until a year later, but even then, they just… stayed together for the longest time, not really doing anything but holding hands and talking a lot, because my dad didn't want to push her into anything she wasn't ready for. He was in love with her with all his heart, but he was a _man_, not a boy, he had been to college and he had a job and a career, and he thought she was just a kid. When she said they should get serious or break up, she was seventeen, almost out of school, but he told her to wait just a few more months, just until she was officially legal, and then they could, you know, really date and be a couple" he pauses, looks at Derek with a smirk and their eyes meet, "He wanted her to be a normal teenager, when she obviously couldn't anymore, because she had found what she had been looking for" Derek looks down, Cora snorts, and Stiles sighs before continuing, "She got really angry at him, and said she wouldn't talk to him again. Two days after that, there was this new kid at her school, in her class. He was seventeen, cocky and smirky, and everything my dad has never been – a player. Charming and casual, and saying since day one that he wouldn't be sticking around for long. She went out with him twice, lost his virginity to him, and he was gone not even two weeks later" he pauses again, and takes in a deep breath, looking down, playing with the hem of his shirt, "Two weeks after that, mom found out she was pregnant. She ran to dad, and he took her in. They told her family the baby was his, and they _hated him_ for that, you have no idea. That's why we never had any contact with them, actually, not even when she got sick. They got married as soon as she was out of school, and moved here to escape her family, who were _awful_ about the whole thing."

He looks up and sees Cora is staring at him in shock, and that Derek has moved from his position at the table to his side in the couch – not really touching him, but close enough that he feels comforted, even if only a little bit. He looks down again before finishing talking.

"Dad wouldn't have told me any of this, but before she… before she died, she told me everything. So that I would know that dad would _always_ be there for me, because he was there for me even before I was born, and how amazing he's always been. So that I'd know how much he always loved us, even if I'm not his blood, and even if mom couldn't have any more kids because of complications from when I was born. It bugs me to hell that Jackson is so ungrateful for his family, who accept him for whatever he is, even now that he's a werewolf, and I can't even tell my dad half the things I want to tell."

When he looks up, Derek is crouched in front of him, his hazel eyes intense.

"Do you want to tell him the truth?"

He nods, eyes never wavering from Derek's, and the Alpha nods once, decisively.

"Then we'll tell him."

His voice is certain and gentle, and Stiles smiles at him, knowing he can wait. He won't give up on Derek yet, and the man knows now why he's okay with the whole _let's wait till you're eighteen, Stiles_, because he knows they'll be together eventually, even if he has to wait for a whole year and then some for that to happen.

It feels as if things are finally getting to his very own happy ending.

Little does he know that's just the beginning.

**X**

Well, it went as well as could be expected. His dad is still staring at him as if the world is coming to an end, and Derek looks as if he wants to bolt, but it's, well, what he had expected.

His dad gets up and walks in a circle for a few seconds before sitting down exactly where he had been a few seconds before, and stares at him, shaking his head.

"Werewolves, Stiles? Really? You couldn't be like all the other trouble maker kids and get involved with the wrong crowd, get drunk too soon, shoplift? You had to go and find…" he gestures towards Derek, who looks as if he wants to become one with the chair.

Stiles sighs, and stares at his dad.

"Look, I wanted to tell you all this time, but I couldn't, ok? Now everything is calm and okay, and Derek told me I could tell you, because you are my father and I don't want to lie to you anymore. So you know."

"And you expect me to be okay with you running around with _werewolves_?"

Stiles looks at his dad and very carefully _does not_ look at Derek. If he looks at Derek he'll lose his nerve.

"Also, I'm kind of really in love with Derek. He knows that, and he keeps hinting that we have to wait until I'm eighteen, and I'm good with that, because, well, I've been a virgin for sixteen years, I can wait a few more months, but I just thought I'd throw this out there now, so we won't have to have another big revelation kind of talk in a few months when the big guy over there finally decides I'm old enough to make my own decisions."

That's what startles a laugh out of his dad, just like Stiles knew it would. The Sheriff is shaking his head, though, with a fond smile on his lips, and he's looking at Stiles with the sort of fondness he used to stare at his mom, when she did something a little bit crazy. It's been _months_ since he saw this smile, and he missed it.

"We okay?" he ends up asking, voice small and a bit afraid, breaking a little, because here's the thing he's been fearing: up till now he knew his relationship with his dad had been going down because he was lying – what if now that he _knows_ of the truth things get worse?

The Sheriff lets out a big sigh, and rubs his eyes for a moment before looking straight at Stiles, pinning him with his baby blue eyes.

"I tried protecting someone I loved by telling them what to do once" he starts, looking at Derek briefly before gazing back at Stiles, "And although what resulted from that is the one person I love most in my life, I learned that you can't control people, even if you think you're doing your best by them. I can't forbid you from seeing all of your friends. I can't tell you not to do whatever it is you do when you're with them, but I _can_ ask you to trust me. I'm your father, Stiles, and while I know I can't protect you from ever getting hurt, I can, and I will, do my best to keep you safe, and even when I can't do that, I'll do my best to be by your side. Even if you want to date a werewolf who's six years older than you."

Stiles smiles wide at his dad, who just shakes his head at the boy, before pinning Derek with a fierce gaze.

"You hurt him, and I _will_ find a way to hurt you back, I swear."

"I know, sir" Derek replies, and the Sheriff nods.

"Good. Now, what's your excuse not to be together?"

Derek looks trapped and Stiles looks startled, and he has a feeling his dad is having fun with this.

"Stiles is sixteen and…"

"Derek," the Sheriff interrupts, "all I want in my life is to see my son happy. I'm not saying that you should be together if you don't feel that's right, but don't make him keep waiting for something that could make him happy just because of a number. He won't have changed so much in a few months that it'd make that much of a difference. I can't be a hypocrite and say you're too old for him, because when I got married to his mom, she was a year older than he is now. Just… don't do this for the wrong reasons, but if they _are_ the right reasons, don't keep him waiting."

And with that he gets up, says goodbye and leaves for work.

Derek and Stiles stay in silence for a few more moments, and then the teen turns to the Alpha.

"Am I going crazy, or did he just tell you to date me?" his voice is disbelieving, and the look on Derek's face is the same.

"I think he did."

Stiles smirks at the man a bit.

"And are you going to do what the Sheriff tells you to?"

Derek looks down for a moment, before getting up and walking to the other side of the kitchen with a frown on his face – which in and of itself is not strange, but it does make Stiles's stomach drop.

"Oh" he says, small and suddenly feeling stupid, "I mean, I thought I was reading you right, with the whole thing after Jennifer Blake and… You did say you were together because she reminded you of me, and I thought, I mean, I assumed, because I've been teasing you, and you never said anything to the contrary, and you did tell me you were waiting till I was eighteen, but if you don't… Like, like me, or want to be with me, I understand. Let's just not make this weird, okay?"

"Stiles" Derek says, his face unreadable.

"What?" he answers, looking down, getting ready for the rejection.

"Shut up" Derek whispers so close he can feel the words as much as he can hear them.

He looks up, and Derek's hands are on his cheeks, gentle, careful, as if he's made of glass and is going to break at any second now, and then he's closing his eyes, and Stiles closes his too, and their lips meet softly, slowly, a caress turned into a kiss, making Stiles smile, because the one kiss he had before this had been nothing like it.

They break apart a few seconds later, and Stiles is smiling wide, Derek's lips gently curved into a small smile too, and Stiles closes his eyes for a few seconds, his forehead touching Derek's.

There's no monster after them. They are safe, and okay, and even Jackson is back. They aren't fighting amongst themselves, and things are fine. Derek's arms are around him, and they are sharing the same air, and everything is just… fine.

It's kind of perfect.

So, of course, it couldn't last.

* * *

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	2. Chapter 2

**home is a fire**

**chapter two**

_Three months later_

**X**

"Well, we all knew angels were dicks, the news is that they are also stupid, then" is all Dean has to say on the matter of Revenge of the Angels, Part 2.

Angels had fallen, Cas had no grace anymore, Charlie had to hide with them in the bunker, Kevin was getting along a little too well with Garth, but other than that, things were going smoothly, until they heard from the angel grapevine – really, just a little spying on their part – that the angels meant to get revenge against the Winchesters by going after their blood family.

Which was, well, laughable, if it wasn't so sad. They had no one _left_. Who were they going to go after? Their tombs? Their bones?

Sam and Charlie, however, thought that it was better to be safe than sorry, and started looking through every single database they could hack into, seeing if there were any Winchesters in the world that the angels could go after.

A cousin, maybe some uncle or aunt who had escaped demons and angels and time travel and all that jazz.

What Dean was really, _really_ not expecting was to find a _son_.

**X**

"This can't be right" Dean says, shaking his head, staring at the screen of Charlie's iPad. Cas is silent by his side, not exactly judgmental, but not helping him either. Sam is staring at him with his mouth almost hanging open, Charlie looks apologetic, and Kevin just looks freaked out, "This… this can't be right."

His eyes are wide and disbelieving, and suddenly he just turns away from the screen, from all of them really, and runs his hands over his hair, looking panicked.

"It's… it's right here, Dean. I mean, the kid could actually not be yours, but it's your name on the birth certificate. It's all changed over for the girl's husband afterwards, but it's here. I don't think anyone would have been able to actually find this, but… angels, you know? They probably will" Charlie's voice is reasonable, but there's a trace of panic in there too.

This is not what they were expecting to find.

"Is there…" Sam starts, and then stops, breathing deeply before going on, "Is there any chance this is true? That you actually had a kid?"

Dean stares at him, shaking his head with incredulity, not denial, because he knows that, yeah, there is.

He was all kinds of stupid when he was a teenager.

He goes back to Charlie's iPad, staring at the name on the screen.

Sarah Bashmakov, seventeen, gave birth to a Sviatopolk Winchester, which then was changed to Stilinski when the adoption papers came through.

Sarah Bashmakov.

Dean closes his eyes, his friends all waiting, and he's never felt like a jerk as much as he does now, because he's trying to remember a girl he met seventeen years ago, had sex with, _impregnated and then left_.

Sarah Bashmakov.

The hint of a smile, golden eyes and pale skin. Long fingers, a bad history with an older boyfriend she wanted to get back at.

Oh my God.

"I can't believe this" he whispers, and Sam is actually staring at him in a _panic_. Because even though they had _seen_ the document, it wasn't real until now.

He has a son.

And the angels are coming for him.

"We have to find him" he says, his voice calm and even, even though he's _freaking out_ right now.

"On it" Charlie says, and goes back to her tablet and her computer, fingers flying over the keyboard.

It's less than three hours after that that he, Sam and Charlie are leaving for a small town called Beacon Hills, in California.

He just hopes they'll get there before the angels do.

**X**

"You sure this is it?"

"Dean, it's not going to be any easier no matter how long you stall for time. Just go and knock on the door" Sam's voice is impatient, but it's clear he's just as scared by this as Dean is – Dean is a _father_, which means Sam is an _uncle_.

Dean is also freaking out, because he doesn't know what to expect.

There's a Toyota parked in front of the house. On the driveway, there's an old blue Jeep. The house seems well lived in but in good condition, a typical small town suburban place, but Dean has seen scarier things live in better neighborhoods, so he won't actually judge until he's met the… kid.

His son.

The kid with the name he can't really pronounce.

He takes a fortifying breath and gets out of the car, Cas, Charlie and Sam following just a step behind him.

He rings the doorbell and waits.

They hear laughter and something crashing. A smooth voice saying something that gets a sarcastic _haha_ as answer, and then the door is open.

The kid is tall. A bit shorter than Dean, but not by much.

"Can I help you?" he asks, his tone curious and strangely cautious – the same tone of voice Dean and Sam used to open doors with when they themselves were kids.

Wary and not wanting to seem like it.

"I'm looking for… Ahm… Sviat… Sviatopo…"

"GOD!" the kid exclaims, and shakes his hands in front of Dean, his whole body screaming a denial, "Don't you dare say that name. Stiles, okay? Stiles Stilinski, that's me, by the way, yes, you have the right person, just don't try and pronounce that."

"So, you're him?" Dean asks, but he doesn't have to.

It's been seventeen, almost eighteen years, but he remembers those eyes, the mouth, the pale skin.

Holy shit, this is his kid.

_His kid_.

"Yeah, I am. What do you want?"

Dean had many, many hours in the Impala to think about what he could say right at this moment. He even gave it great thought, and yet he didn't really know what to say.

That's his defense for what actually comes out of his mouth.

"I'm your father."

The kid stares at him, his mouth hanging open. He looks as if he's going to pass out, and Dean is reaching out a hand to steady him when someone else is suddenly behind his… _Stiles_, behind Stiles, an arm around his waist.

"Stiles?" the man says, careful, but he's eyeing the three people at the door with open distrust now.

The newcomer is the same height as Stiles, but he's much, much broader. He's also… different. There's something about him that doesn't quite sit right with Dean, and he doesn't like the man on the spot.

Especially the way he's holding _his son_ right now.

"Please tell me you're larping as Darth Vader and forgot your costume. I mean, Jesus Christ, please tell me that's it."

Dean doesn't know what to answer to that, even though he can hear Charlie actually give a small squeal behind him.

"We need to talk to you, Stiles. Is your mom here?" Sam ends up asking, and Dean thanks all that is good on this earth that his brother is there with him.

The kid snorts suddenly, shaking his head, seeming to grow angry all of a sudden. He steps away from the man and turns around to look at him, and not the newcomers.

"Are they serious? Please tell me they are joking right now. I mean."

The man stares at the kid and shakes his head.

"They aren't joking."

And what the _hell_ is that supposed to mean? Is the man a psychic or something?

Stiles turns to them again.

"What do you want with my mom?"

"Look, can we come in? We really need to talk about this, for real, and we need to do it soon. Can you please call her, so we can all sit down and talk?" Dean ends up saying, and the kid looks at him briefly, as if he can't believe his nerve, and then he takes in a deep breath.

"We'll call the Sheriff, and when he gets here, you can come in. Not before that" tall, dark and broody says, and then he slams the door on their faces.

"They're calling the Sheriff?!" Dean asks, a bit alarmed, because, well, he and the law aren't exactly friends.

"That's his dad" Charlie chimes in, "Sarah is married to the Sheriff."

Well, aren't they screwed?

**X**

"Derek…" Stiles says, and the man hugs him, because he doesn't know what else to do.

That man out there hadn't been lying – he's actually Stiles' father, or he believes it so much that he can say it as truth.

"We have to call your dad right now" he says, and Stiles takes a step back.

"Was he…"

Derek shakes his head.

"He wasn't lying. And there's something… desperate about them, Stiles. We have to get your dad here."

Stiles nods, and considers if they should call the rest of the pack.

The day he told Derek and Cora about everything, Derek told him Cora filled the others in that same night.

Derek offers to call the Sheriff, and his boyfriend goes into his dad's office to make the call. Probably to warn the Sheriff before he gets here that there's a man claiming he's Stiles' dad at their door.

How is this even real life, seriously?

He's back in less than five minutes, and Stiles is taking deep, calming breaths.

He won't freak out.

"Hey" he calls, and Stiles opens his eyes, "It'll be okay."

Stiles nods, and hugs Derek to him.

He hopes so.

**X**

The cruiser parks behind the Jeep on the driveway, and they see an older man getting out of it – grey hair, bright blue eyes, Sheriff uniform. He eyes the four of them as if they're the enemy, and in a way, Dean gets it – they don't make the best first impression.

The man walks up to them, his hands just so that his gun is clear into view, and he frowns.

"My son's boyfriend just called me, telling me that some man showed up at my house, and told _my son_ he was his father. Can you explain to me how is that funny? Because I don't get the joke."

Dean really, really wants to take a step back and hide.

He slept with this guy's wife. Okay, it was seventeen years ago, and they are happily married and everything, but, man, this _sucks_.

"We wouldn't make light of such a grave situation" Castiel starts, and Dean feels the urge to take the lead, because if they leave this up to Cas' communication skills things will get really ugly really fast.

"Look, it's not a joke, and m… _your_ son's life might be in danger. Can you please just get Sarah here and then we can talk?" Dean asks in an urgent vice, ignoring with all his might the fact that that _man_ is his _son's_ boyfriend.

He won't go there.

He just… won't.

The Sheriff stares at him for a long moment.

"You're the guy who got Sarah pregnant when she was seventeen? The guy who left town before she even knew, who she could never find, even to tell? The guy who _knew_ she was in love with someone else, and yet slept with her, with no remorse? You're that guy?"

Dean swallows dry and holds his head high.

"Yes, sir."

"And now you're here telling me that my son's life might be in danger because of you?"

"It's more complicated than that" Sam answers before Dean can, and the Sheriff barely glances at him before going towards them, and opening the door.

He gets right in front of Dean before stepping in, they are even in height, and Dean swallows dry again.

"I never thought I would say this, but I'm glad Sarah passed away before she had to look at you again" he hisses fiercely, and then steps in, making a gesture for them to follow.

The four of them trade a look and go inside.

The house is simple, but it speaks of _family_. Pictures on the walls, messes everywhere, which is to be expected of a teenage boy.

Said teenage boy is sitting at the table in the dining room where the Sheriff ends up leading them. He gestures for them to sit, and then goes to his son, putting a hand on his shoulder and sitting by his left side – his right is already taken by the _man_ who is in a relationship with the kid.

Seriously, that's just…

He won't even go there.

"You said Stiles' life might be at risk, so I would start talking realty fast if I were you" the man says, and the Sheriff nods, as if he approves. Dean and Sam look at each other, because they said that _outside, whispering to the Sheriff_. How does the man even know that?

"Nope" Stiles says, "That's not how this is going to go down. I have manners. I wasn't raised by wolves" he smirks as he says that, and the Sheriff looks as if he's trying to hide a smile, his boyfriend snorts and everyone else is just confused, "I'm Stiles. _This_" he says pointedly, looking straight at Dean, "is my dad, John Stilinski, and this is my boyfriend, Derek Hale."

"I'm Castiel" Cas answers in a grave voice, and Stiles raises an eyebrow at him.

"I'm Charlie" the only girl says, raising her hand in greeting.

"I'm Sam and this is Dean. Winchester" Sam says, adding the surname to see if they get a reaction.

And boy, _do they_.

Stiles actually snorts at that, and shakes his head.

"Are you seriously trying to get into this sort of game? Are you freaking kidding me?"

"What…" Sam starts, but the kid doesn't let him finish.

"Look, I've read every single one of those books at _least_ twice. You can't come in here and pretend to be fictional characters and expect me to believe you" he pauses and eyes the four of them with pure contempt, "Plus, you're no way _near_ as hot as Dean Winchester should have been. I mean, sure, you're hot, but Dean Winchester levels? No way."

"Oh God, please do not go there" Dean says, hitting his head against the table, because his own son is calling him _hot_, and no. That's just all kinds of wrong.

"Now, you can either really say what you want to say, or you can go, because I have better things to do with my time than listen to this stupid… whatever is it" the kid says back, and Dean looks at him – the man, Derek, has an arm around his shoulders, casual, as if it's no big deal. The Sheriff is staring at them suspiciously, clearly not knowing what to do with what Stiles has said, but reevaluating his position in letting them in in the first place.

"Ok, so you're familiar with the books, which makes this all easier" Sam is saying before Dean can recover, and thank god he is here, "Those books were all true. There's more to life than… this" he is saying, gesturing to the whole room, and Dean looks down, because this part is never easy to a newcomer, this whole monster are real kind of thing, "There are things out there that can really hurt you, Stiles, and we can prove it to you, I swear we can, but we're almost out of time, and you have to, at the very least, listen to us. Monsters are real, and we are here because we want to keep you safe" Sam finishes and Dean finally raises his eyes to stare at his son.

Who is… smirking.

"First of all, this whole _monster_ thing has to _go_. That is unfair terminology, because you never know what can be a monster and what can be a perfectly reasonable being who's just having a bad day. It's all very easy and fun for you to name everything that's not human as a _monster_, but, seriously, calling them that is bullying."

"Stiles, this is serious…" Sam starts, and the kid raises an eyebrow at him.

"And you think I'm kidding? If there's one thing that annoyed me to hell in those books is their holier than thou attitude towards the creatures! Man, some of them were awful, and I get it, but come _on_."

"I believe we are getting out of track here" the Sheriff intervenes, when it's clear that Sam doesn't know how to answer to that, and Dean hasn't yet recovered from the shock that his son thinks his fictional self is hot, "You said Stiles' life was in danger, and I'd like to know _why_."

The four hunters (or almost that, in Charlie's and Cas' cases) look at each other, and Sam keeps talking, because he's good with words in a way none of the others is.

"We are hunters. As Stiles knows, if he's read the books, we hunt the supernatural – monsters and ghosts and demons."

He gets this far before Stiles is snorting.

"And if the books are any true, that guy in the trench coat is an _angel_, and they also stopped the Apocalypse from happening" his tone is disbelieving, but Dean is frowning anyway.

"The books only came out until, like, two years before any of that happened" he says.

"And the internet is the place where you can find anything if you know where to look" the kid answers, grinning sardonically at him.

Sam sighs and goes on as if he's heard nothing of the exchange.

"Anyway, Stile is right, we did stop those things from happening, but, of course, we pissed a lot of people out in the process. Including angels. A few months back… well, something very bad happened, and the angels fell. They are here, on Earth, and they want nothing more than hurt us and make us pay. A few days ago, we got some information that their plan is to hunt our family, to get us where it hurts the most, but we have no family left. It's just the two of us. Until Charlie did a complete search, and we found Stiles' original birth certificate, before the adoption papers came through, I guess" he lets that settle for a moment, before continuing, "So this is it – the angels are after Stiles, and we came here to make sure he's safe."

The other three men in the room are quiet for a moment.

"Any chance that is all an elaborate lie?" the Sheriff asks, and Derek is the one who shakes his head, before the Winchesters can answer.

"No. They're not… lying."

Stiles looks at Dean, shakes his head firmly, and then turns to Derek.

"You should call the pack so we can have a game plan, I guess. I'll call Allison and tell her to get her dad here too, because I want some confirmation that those guys really are who they say they are, and Mr. Argent will probably know. It'll be fine" the kid says, already getting up.

The Sheriff nods at the two of them, and they leave the room, leaving a very confused four people behind.

"So… you do believe us?" Sam asks the Sheriff, and Dean can see the man is actually getting red from anger.

"I always knew you were trouble, even back then, when I had no idea anything had happened between you and Sarah. But I never thought you would be the actual cause for my son's life to be in danger again" he tells Dean in a cold voice, "You can come back tonight, and then we'll talk. But right now, you are leaving."

The man gets up and opens the door, looking at them pointedly, until they go.

When they are back in the car, they stay in silence for a long minute.

"So… did they actually believe us? What the hell was that all about, I mean, I was expecting them to put up more of a fight to the, you know, acceptance of there being angels and demons and creatures" Charlie says from the backseat.

"Me too" Dean answers, staring at the house before turning on the car, "Me too."

* * *

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	3. Chapter 3

**home is a fire**

**chapter three**

The process of finding a motel to spend a few nights is nothing new, and they set up camp fairly quickly. Sam and Charlie are in one room, Castiel and Dean in another, because they can't trust the angel to be by himself yet, and Charlie speaks in too many pop culture references for him to be able to keep up.

Soon the four of them are in Dean and Cas' room, eating burgers and trying to understand what the hell just happened.

"So, apparently, this Sarah chick is dead" Sam says tactlessly, and Charlie frowns at him as Dean just shakes his head.

"Apparently" Dean answers distractedly, and Sam frowns a bit.

"She died from cancer when Stiles was eleven. It's just him and the Sheriff ever since" the girl says, still frowning at Sam.

He just shrugs and takes another bite of his hamburger.

"I'm not sure if we should be relieved that they just… bought it all, or worried."

"Why worried?" Charlie asks, and Sam focuses his attention on her.

"Because Stiles said they were calling an Argent to confirm we are who we say we are, and the only Argent I can think of that could do that is a hunter."

"A hunter?" Dean repeats, finally looking up at his brother.

"_Werewolf_ hunters. We never actually met them, but there are a few mentions of their clan in dad's journal and in Bobby's stuff too. It's their thing, they only hunt werewolves."

There's silence in the room after that.

"You mean they could actually _be_ hunters? If they're calling in the Argents to check our story, then they have to know what the Argents do, and it's not our style to just let random strangers know what we actually do" Dean's voice is getting louder, as it tends to do when he doesn't want things to be the way they are, as if he can scream at life events and hope they'll bend to his will because he's shouting at them.

"Uh, guys, I don't know if they are hunters, but the Argents are kind of down to two right now" Charlie says, staring at her tablet screen. She turns it around to show them a local newspaper article detailing Victoria Argent's death after her sister-in-law got killed while in a murdering spree, "It says here that the head of the family, Gerard, also went missing a few weeks after Victoria's suicide, and only Christopher Argent and his daughter are left of the family. It's, really, small town gossip more than anything else, but…"

She trails off, and the four of them seem to contemplate the news quietly for a while.

Sarah is apparently dead. Dean's son is dating a much older man with the blessing of his dad, who is the _Sheriff_, and they have so much contact with the Argents that they know it's a family of hunters.

What the hell is going on?

**X**

Derek calls the pack while Stiles contacts Allison, and they meet in the living room not even ten minutes after the hunters leave the house.

It's weird.

Stiles stops by the couch and just stares at Derek for the longest moment, not knowing what to say, what to do – _his_ life is in danger? He's never been really the main character of this kind of story before. In danger? Yes. But being _the cause_ of the trouble? No. That's for Derek and Scott and Allison, not him.

The Sheriff finds them still standing and looking at the other, not saying anything a few minutes later, and he sighs deeply, putting a hand on his son's shoulder.

"It's gonna be okay, son. It's not like you lack the experience in this sort of situation anyway" he comments, sitting down, and Stiles chokes a laugh, because, well, it's kind of true.

Except this is not really what's bothering him.

"How can someone just… show up at a guy's door and go all like, hey, I'm your biological father, also, ANGELS are going to try and kill you because of it? I mean, is that guy insane? Is this why I'm this crazy, because it'd be a _great_ explanation. What right does he have to just… show up and say all that, and then… ARGH."

The Sheriff and Derek exchange a look, but don't say anything, because Stiles has every right to freak out right now. The older man sighs again before patting the couch seat beside his, and Stiles sits, putting his head on his hands.

"It doesn't change anything. If he thinks you might be in danger because you share blood, then we'll find a way out of it, and that's it. He's not coming to stay, he won't be a part of your life if you don't want him to."

"I don't want him to" the teen says firmly, "I have a father, I don't need that guy, I never did. I'm just…" he doesn't finish talking, because he doesn't really know what he is.

Angry? Disbelieving? Pissed off? Yes to all of them and then some.

He's never even thought about this moment, to be honest. His mom had made it clear that the guy hadn't known she was pregnant before leaving, and in his head, he would never had known, and he had no need to change that. He didn't want to get in touch with the guy, because he was just that: a random guy, a mistake his mom made. It all worked out in the end, his mom loved his dad, and they had been together for as long as they could, and even now his dad hasn't ever tried to date anyone else because he still loves her. He's never _needed_ or _wanted_ this.

This sucks.

"The pack will be here in about an hour. I thought it best for us to talk to the Argents first, confirm that they are who they say they are before talking to the others" Derek offers, sitting beside Stiles on the couch.

"I agree" the Sheriff nods, "Even if… Well, I don't think anyone would go through the trouble of making all of this up. And no one here in Beacon Hills knows of Sarah's story with that boy, except for your pack and us, so I actually think he was telling the truth."

For probably the first time _ever_ Stiles doesn't want to say anything, so he just shakes his head and leans a bit onto Derek – they aren't exactly a cuddly couple in public. Derek has a lot of issues with personal space, and Stiles is a bit spastic and loud with his body language, and that doesn't bode well for public displays of affection, but whenever Derek thinks he's in some sort of danger, he manages to touch Stiles in one way or another – even back when they didn't even really trust each other, like when the Kanima showed up at the school pool, Derek would always physically comfort him, protect him, just touch him, as if to make sure he was _there_, that he hadn't run away or died on him.

At this moment, though, he _needs_ Derek, and whatever form of comfort he can give him, because he's not good at angsting for himself. Feeling sorry for Scott when he's torn between Allison and Isaac? Yes. Feeling bad for Cora and everything she went through? Yes. Even feeling sorry for Peter and all the mistakes he's made? Yes. But for _him_? He's not good at it. He prefers to ignore everything until it goes away, except this time it won't work because he's the _cause_ of it – or actually, the guy who slept with his mom and didn't have the common sense of using a _condom_ was the cause of it, and as he was the _result_ from that… well.

It's about half an hour later when Chris Argent shows up. Derek, as always, goes cold and tense just at the sight of the man, but doesn't outwardly antagonizes him, which is always a bonus.

"What can I help you with, Sheriff?" he asks, ignoring the Alpha werewolf glaring at him, and said werewolf's boyfriend, who is much too invested in not completely freaking out to keep a conversation.

"I need information on some… hunters" his dad says, not looking comfortable with saying that, which is hilarious seeing as he has no problem with the concept of _pack_, "The Winchesters" he adds, and Chris raises both eyebrows in surprise.

"If your boy is in trouble with the Winchesters because of his involvement with Hale, I don't know what I can do to help. Their father was _vicious_, and from what I've heard, they are just… unstoppable."

"That is not quite the case" the Sheriff tries to explain, "We just need some confirmation that these men who showed up at our door earlier actually are who they said they are. And how much of what they've told us can be taken as truth."

"They were here?" the hunter inquires, suspicious, "Why?"

"I'm going to go upstairs" Stiles says, and Derek follows him quietly.

The Sheriff watches them go and sighs again, inviting Chris to sit.

It's going to be a long afternoon.

**X**

Of course that, being who they are, they can't just leave it well enough alone and come back only when they were told to – they eat, they talk, they start trying to think up ways of hiding Dean's son, and then they head to the Sheriff's house, trying to stage a stakeout. They park the car near enough from the house, and keep watch through the afternoon.

There's an SUV there when they get to the place, but it's gone a few minutes after they arrive – only to come back not even half an hour later, when a girl and an older man come out. Charlie states those are the Argents, from the pictures she's seen on her research about the hunter family.

Half an hour after that comes a green dirty bike, two boys on it. They park, look around for a bit, both of them frowning, and then go in too, without even knocking this time. Not five minutes after that another expensive Toyota parks, and a man around the same age as the Sheriff goes into the house too. Almost at the same time a shiny BMW parks almost in front of the Toyota, and a girl with bright red hair and a tall and bulky kid with a tall forehead get out just as a Porsche parks right behind them and a blond boy with a dark haired girl come out, and the four of them walk to the house, getting in too.

"Are they having some sort of party before we go in or something?" Dean asks no one in particular.

"Why would they choose this afternoon for a party, after receiving such grave news?" Castiel asks, looking truly bewildered, and it startles a laugh out of Charlie and a small smile from Sam.

Dean can only shake his head, because, seriously, shouldn't Cas already be getting things by now? He turns around to answer them, but there's a knock on the window, and he actually startles – not only him, but the other three people in the car too.

The curly haired boy from before is smirking at them. Dean lowers the window and the kid leans against the Impala, smirking all the time.

"Derek asked me to tell you that you suck at this stakeout thing, and that you might as well get in now and get this conversation over with" he ends with yet another smirk and goes back to the house – a place they didn't even see he come out from, but ok.

They do get out of the car, and Charlie is frowning a bit, muttering about this being way too creepy.

"I thought _we_ were supposed to be the creepy ones, what with the murdering angels warnings and the hunting thing" she mutters, and Dean can't help but agree.

The door is open when they cross the street and get to the house, and they get in, seeing all the people from before sitting in the living room.

They also notice there's a distinct _division_ thing going on there.

The Argents, if what Charlie has found is right, are closets to the door, the man glaring at the middle aged man who's standing near the teens. All of the teens are on the other side of the room, standing up, slightly behind Stiles and his boyfriend. The Sheriff is almost at the middle of it, as if mediating the whole thing.

This does not bode well.

Sam, the last one to come in, closes the door quietly behind him and stare confusedly at all the people in the room.

"I kind of understand your need to have the Argents here" Dean starts, pointing to the other hunters, letting them know that, yes, they know who they are, "But I don't think having Stiles' friends here for this conversation is the way to go."

"Tough" says the red headed girl, staring at her nails, with a slightly bored look on her face, she raises her eyes slowly, gaze like steel on Dean's "If you come here saying Stiles is in danger this is where we'll be, pie-boy."

Dean raises both eyebrows, trying very hard not to react to the choked laugh coming out of Charlie, because what?

"Are these them? Can you confirm it?" the Sheriff is asking, and Dean tries to focus on the conversation again.

Argent nods.

"Yes, that's actually them. And if what they told you is true, then we have a bigger problem in our hands than what we've had so far."

The man's voice is cold and clinical, and yes, Dean is quite sure that he is, indeed, a hunter. He would recognize that kind of posture anywhere.

"You don't have to be a part of it, Argent" Stiles' _boyfriend_ is saying, and Dean wants to slap him, just once, "It's our pack's problem, we'll deal with it."

Pack? Really, they call their little group _pack_?

"I know, Hale, but seeing as I have a vested interest on your _pack_ being safe, I'll do whatever I can to help."

Hale.

Pack and Hale, why does that sound familiar?

Pack and Hale and werewolf hunters…

Oh my God.

"Werewolves" Sam says before Dean can, and suddenly there's _growling_ in the living room.

"Werewolves, they are werewolves?!" Dean repeats, and then stares at the Sheriff in disbelief, "You let _my son_ be in a relationship with a _werewolf_?!" he shouts, resulting in said boyfriend flashing really bright _red_ eyes at him, "An _Alpha_ werewolf?!"

"No" the Sheriff answers calmly, "I let _my son_ be in a relationship with the man he loves. Not a concept I expect you to understand."

The man's voice is ice cold, and Dean is ready to continue arguing, but Stiles' voice cuts through the growling suddenly.

"Look! There'll be no more of this whole _my son_ shtick! I'm not your son. I'm not your anything. If anything, I'm your blood, and believe me, if I could change that, I would. We are here to get into the whole angels want to kill me _because of you_, might I add, and that's it. This is not a soulful reunion of a long lost family. This is _you_ being a problem, and us having to solve it. So suck it up with the pretend anger on my behalf, because you know _nothing_ about me, or my dad, or my pack or Derek" he finishes, breathing hard, staring angrily at Dean.

At his back, all of the teens except for the red haired girl are flashing amber or bright blue eyes at the four newcomers.

He doesn't quite know how to respond to that, because even _he_ doesn't know what he's feeling right now.

This is different. This is so much different. This is even different than what he had with Ben, because while he loved that kid with all his heart, he hadn't seen Ben grow up or anything to form that kind of attachment, and Ben wasn't really _his_. They lived in the same house for a year, but that was about it.

This is his blood. This is his family, a legacy he could leave behind like his dad did, except without the awful parts. And yet this is nothing like that, because he's sure Stiles doesn't even hate him properly, because there's nothing connecting them. They resemble each other a bit, but most of the kid is Sarah, and the rest is things he caught along the way, from the father he's always known.

"Look, we need to find a way to protect Stiles, and if we can have back up that'd be great" Sam is saying when Dean starts paying attention again, "But can we sit and talk, so we can explain to you what is going on now? Calmly?"

Argent nods first, and the Sheriff is next, but Hale – who, in Dean's head now, is no longer _his son's boyfriend_, but the _Alpha werewolf_ – just glares.

And because he's glaring and not saying anything, none of the other teens move.

"Come on, Derek, they are waiting for you, and I know you don't like it, but if you are that much attached to Stiles, we'll have to get to an understanding with the new hunters over there" the older man by the werewolves says, "And I, for one, have grown way too attached to our little Spark here to just let the angels get him" he finishes with a small smirk.

"You call me little Spark again, Peter, I swear to god I'll put wolfsbane in your shampoo" Stiles threatens, but the man just smirks at him, while a few of the other teens try to hide smiles.

Hale suddenly sighs and nods, and that comes with a small sigh of relief from his pack, who take that as a sign to sit down on the floor, and look up at the hunters.

Argent takes a seat on the chair by the window, and his daughter crosses the imaginary line to sit between two of the werewolves. Derek takes a seat on an armchair, Stiles sitting on the arm of it, and most of the pack is on the floor in front of them, except for the Peter guy, who stands behind the armchair, staring unblinkingly at Castiel, and the blond boy, who stands with his arms crossed over his chest beside Stiles.

The Sheriff gestures to the four new comers to sit on the couch, and takes the last armchair.

"What do we know about the situation?" Argent asks, leaning forward and staring at Sam, who takes a deep breath.

"To explain everything we'd need to have a week just to get you started on it, but the main point of it is that the Angels aren't exactly loving us right now, since we helped cause their fall."

"When you say their fall, we're talking about…" says the bulky kid beside the red haired girl – they really need to learn their names.

"All of them. Heaven is kind of… devoid of angels right now."

That startles a laugh out of Stiles, who stares at them as if they are crazy, which, well.

Can't really blame him.

"Right. So you managed to kick the angels from heaven, and they are pissed. So they are coming after your blood. Seeing as it's just the two of you from the Winchester line, that would lead them to me, because assbutt over there can't work a condom. Got it. How do we solve this? We can't kill all the angels, which would be just, you know, wrong. Also, not very productive, 'cause we aren't killers, we've been actually actively trying to _avoid_ the killing. Alpha Pack and Darach and Kanima and Peter here, once, aside" Stiles pauses for a second and then shakes his head, "Wow, for a bunch of people trying to _avoid_ the killing we certainly do a lot of it."

"Stiles" says the Argent girl, "Please shut up" she smiles at him, wide and sweet, and he smiles back.

"Sure thing" he answers, and then turns to stare at Dean and Sam, as if waiting for them to already have a game plan.

Which they don't.

"We actually don't know what to do right now. We came here as soon as we found out that Dean was… that you had our blood. We still need to come up with a plan, because this mess is a lot to solve."

"So, basically you're saying you came here, just dropped the bomb of knowing you're Stilinski's biological father and that that's that cause of his impending death, but you do not have a plan?" asks the blond boy, who's still standing, "Wow, you suck at this worse than we do."

"Jackson" Derek says in a warning tone, but the blond doesn't seem bothered by it.

He and Stiles stare at each other for a moment, and then Stiles smiles, and raises his fist, and they fist bump, even if the Jackson kid looks like he's pain from doing it.

What the hell.

"Seeing as Stiles seems to be the in a pack already, there is one simple solution" Castiel says, staring at the teens calculatingly.

"What do you mean?" Charlie asks, but everyone in the room leans a bit forward, as if afraid to miss something.

"Angels could only track him down if he's human. If he's a part of who you, Dean, are. Werewolves aren't human, they don't belong into the human realm after death – they aren't creatures of God, they are creatures of Eve, of the Mother of All. The Angels wouldn't even see him as a part of your blood family if he's turned."

"Your solution to this is to have Stiles become a werewolf?" one of the kids on the floor says, sounding angry.

"Yes" Castiel says simply.

"No" Dean, Stiles, Derek and Argent say at the same time.

"I'm not turning. I don't want the bite. We already had this conversation a few times, and everyone knows my opinion on the matter. Our Pack does not need another Beta, I am not risking losing my Spark thing because of the bite, plus, I could die, and the point of this whole get together here is to _avoid_ me dying. No. I'm not turning. Next option."

"Maybe you shouldn't just… dismiss this so fast, Stiles" one of the girls says, and Stiles shakes his head.

"Don't, Cora" Hale states, his voice afraid and cold at once, "This is not up for debate again, he doesn't want it, I don't want him to, we are fine how we are."

"Plus, we can't risk being without his sparkling powers."

"Wolfsbane in your shampoo, Peter, I swear" Stiles says, but there's a small smile playing on his lips.

"Ok, so turning is off the table, what now?"

"Wait until they attack and kill them" Stiles says, and every teen in the room, plus Derek, glares at him, "What? It's been working. God knows we've been trying to plan stuff, and nothing ever goes right. At least this way our plan is actually going to happen."

"Actually" Sam starts, stopping what Dean can see would turn into a huge debate, "That might be all we can do. The safest thing we can do right now is to be around so that in case they attack, there's someone who can protect him. Someone who's dealt with angels before" he adds when he sees the werewolves in the room are about to protest.

"And then what? You stay in Beacon Hills forever, acting like my personal shield against angels?"

"No. We are working on how to get them back to heaven. And we'll figure a way to keep you safe, but until then, this is our best option."

"I don't like this option" Stiles says with a frown, and one of the kids squeezes his knee in sympathy.

"If it's to keep him safe, then yes, you're staying" the Sheriff says in a final tone, "One of you will stay with him at all times, the rest of us try to figure out a way out of this."

"Which means we won't even need them at all, because I'm the researcher, and Lydia will help me. We don't need anyone else."

"Things aren't that simple, Stiles, you need the protection" Sam says, using his puppy dog face, and Dean watches as the kid's resolve to deny them anything starts crumbling.

"Who's taking the first shift, then?" he says moodily after a few seconds.

"I will" Sam volunteers, "You guys get head to the motel, Charlie can start research at our end too, check if Kevin has any news on anything" he says, turning to the others.

They nod, and turn their back to leave.

Dean feels as if he should say something, or do something, but he doesn't know what.

He leaves, Sam trying to give him an encouraging smile as he closes the door.

This sucks.

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4

**home is a fire**

**chapter four**

They have a weird chemistry going on, Sam decides once he's watched them for long enough.

After Dean, Cas and Charlie leave, Chris Argent is next, and the Sheriff is in the middle of his shift, so he leaves too. The _pack_ decides to relocate to their Alpha's place for the time being, and Sam goes along, because that's his job right now, along with research.

He knows Kevin is looking through every available book in the House of Letters, and that Charlie is looking through internet resources as well, but when the kids – mostly Lydia, who's the red head, and Stiles insist on looking through the pack's archive, he can't help but agree.

He goes with Derek and Stiles, and they bicker the whole way there – Derek doesn't smile, not even once, and Stiles seems to take great pleasure out of annoying the man, which seems a strange combination for a couple, but Sam's track record for relationships isn't that good, so he's not pointing any fingers.

They get to the loft – open and airy, with lots and lots of windows – and the others don't take long to follow.

Once they are all in, Sam stands awkwardly to the side, watching them.

"I think introductions are in order, right?" Stiles says, coming to his side, and Sam smiles at him briefly.

"The red head is Lydia. She's a genius, so don't get on her bad side. Plus, her boyfriend used to be an Alpha, he's not one now, but he's still pretty powerful, and he's also really smart – his name is Aidan, by the way" he says, pointing to the boy reading something over the girl's shoulder, "The blond over there is Jackson – he used to be Lydia's boyfriend and a lizard, but then he got unlizarded, and ran away to London. When he got back, Lydia had moved on to the good twin over there, so he lost his chance. He's trying to get together with Cora" he indicates the girl with dark hair and tanned skin, "but she's his Alpha's sister, plus a badass, so it's not going all that well. The creepy guy over there is Peter, he used to be the Alpha, but then we helped Derek kill him, so when he came back, he did it as Derek's Beta. He's alright now, but still creepy. The other blond is Isaac, he's the first one Derek turned, and beside him is Scott, who's my best friend, and Allison, his girlfriend, and an Argent, which should be enough to tell you how much of a badass she actually is" that earns the kid a glare, which he returns with a grin, "And, last but not least, our dear Alpha, Derek Hale. This is… it. The Hale pack."

"You're a part of the pack" Sam states more than asks, and Stiles nods a bit.

"Yeah. They are my friends. My family. Plus dad and Melissa, who's Scott's mom, by the way. I need them with me, and I know they'd do anything for me, just as I'd do anything for them."

Sam nods, because he gets that – the whole doing anything for your family thing.

It does seem as if it's a trait passed on by blood, or maybe this is just who Stiles is, all by himself.

"So… on a scale from one to completely impossible, how difficult is it going to be to make these angels forget about me?" he asks, and Sam takes a deep breath before answering.

"I really don't know. We are looking into it, and we won't give up, because we just… don't do that. We won't let anything happen to you."

"I'm not a damsel in distress, you know" Sam raises his eyebrows in surprise, because he wasn't expecting this as an answer, "I'm not. I'm useful. When I say we are a pack, I don't mean that the humans stay home knitting as the big, strong wolves go out to fight our battles. Lydia and I took out a Darach all by ourselves not even three months ago, and we have always been decisive to winning our battles. You don't have to worry about not letting anything happen to me, that's my pack's job. You have to worry about showing us a way to figure out this mess, because you have more knowledge in this field than we do. I'm not looking for a hero to save me in this situation, I'm looking for a solution."

Sam considers the boy by his side, taking in the determination on his face, the anger he's feeling, probably by being in this mess because of the guy who slept with his mom and skipped town.

He nods firmly at the kid, _his nephew_.

"I get it. We'll find a way" he says, and Stiles stares at him for a long moment, before leaving him on his corner and joining Lydia at the table.

Sam sits on the stairs and takes that moment to watch the pack interacting, and that's when he realizes that yes, they have a weird chemistry, but they _work_. They're obviously different kinds of teens, and they probably wouldn't have even interacted if they weren't in the same pack, but they work together.

He can't help but think about what has happened to these people to make them work together like this, because this is not something that time has brought together, they are way too young for that – and there's only one thing that can bring people together this fast: danger.

It's a few hours later, the sun is already setting, when Charlie calls him and lets him know they are coming to relieve him of his duty. He says they don't have to, but Dean wants to be there anyway, so he agrees to have his shift with Dean.

He can't risk leaving his brother all by himself with the kids, because they'll either murder him, or he'll kill any positive impression he could have made on his son.

Derek gives him the address and instructions on how to get to his place, and Stiles frowns at Dean when he comes in, but keeps on looking through books even after most of the teens have already gone home – Cora, Peter and Derek are the only ones left.

Dean sits by Sam on the stairs and doesn't say anything, just stares at them for a long moment, clearly wanting to ask Sam a million questions, but knowing the werewolves would hear them.

"You know, there's one person…" Stiles begins, but Derek's shaking his head.

"No" the Alpha says firmly.

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"Yes, I do, and no. We're not asking for his help, ever."

"You are being unreasonable."

"According to you I'm always unreasonable" Derek answers, his tone dry as a desert.

"You _are_ always unreasonable, but in this stance, I agree with my nephew, we can't trust the man" Peter adds, and Sam frowns.

Who are they talking about?

"I'm not saying invite him to our wedding and ask him to be your best man, Derek, I'm saying ask him if he knows something. Knowledge is knowledge, no matter the source!" the kid argues, his tone exasperated, "Come on! Cora, tell me you agree with me" he appeals to his boyfriend's sister and the girl nods.

"I agree with you. No, hear me out" she says when it looks like the two other men are going to argue, "We don't have to tell him the whole situation, and we don't have to say who the information is for, we could just use him as a source."

"Come on, Derek, you know there's a good chance that if anyone knows how to open the doors to heaven or make me untraceable by the angels' GPS it's him!"

"Stiles, that man left you and Lydia to fight a full on Darach, who killed nine humans and two Alphas on her own. You and Lydia, when you had nothing more to go on than some vague knowledge about beliefs and immunity working well together. You didn't even _know_ how to work that together. If you hadn't figured it out, we would _all_ be dead right now, because that man was too busy trying to _save the Alpha of the Alpha pack_. Our enemy. And you want to ask for his help."

"He knew we could do it" Stiles says back, and Sam sees Cora and Peter trade a look and come closer to them, standing by the stairs beside Sam and Dean, as if they know better than to stay close when the other two are arguing, "He believed we could do it, and we did it. You're here, I'm here, Lydia's here. Blake is not. So we're good."

"He didn't _know_ you could do it, it sounds more like he _didn't care_ if you could do it or not. We're not going to him."

"You can't tell me what to do" Stiles says, taking a step forward, Derek taking a deep breath and rolling his neck, as if trying to control his temper.

"I _am_ your Alpha" his voice is low, and Stiles narrows his eyes.

"And I _am_ your boyfriend, and this shit won't fly with me. I'm not saying we promise our first kid to him or anything, but we have to ask."

The two of them keep staring at each other angrily, and Sam has to give the kid kudos for not backing down when facing an Alpha werewolf.

Although they _are_ together, so it must be a pretty common occurrence.

"Last resource" Derek hisses, and Stiles grins at him, leaning forward fast and giving him a kiss on the nose.

Sam chokes back a laugh, and sees Cora and Peter smiling fondly at the two.

He isn't brave enough to see what Dean's reaction is, but Peter, who looks down at the other hunter, seems amused by it, and Sam has the feeling the man finds his amusement in other's discomfort.

"Last resource. And now let's get some food, 'cause I'm starving."

The Alpha werewolf actually sighs, rubbing his eyes, as if tired from the argument.

"Do we have the time to? Because your dad wants you home early, and I'm not repeating the whole thing from the last time you got home late."

"His problem last time wasn't curfew, it was the blood" Stiles answers, and Sam has to choke back a laugh again, "But you're right. I should head home soon." The kid turns to the hunters on the stairs, "I assume you guys will stay the night, then?"

"It's better if we do. We may not be able to actually _stop_ the angels, but we can delay them, talk to them, even. You'll be safer with us there."

Stiles shrugs and turns to Derek.

"What about the pack?"

"We'll keep watch outside. Take turns during the night."

"Okay" the kid says, nodding, "I'll keep up the research at home, Lydia will help too, I'm sure. I'll get my stuff and some books and we can go."

Stiles goes to the table to get his things, and Derek looks at Sam and Dean fiercely. Peter and Cora seem to get the message, and make themselves scarce fast, leaving the hunters to the Alpha.

"I'm not trusting you with his safety, I hope you get that. One of my pack will be outside the house at all times, and if we hear a single thing we don't like, we're coming in and you are going out."

He doesn't wait for an answer before going to get his car keys, and Dean and Sam trade a look.

Overprotective Alpha Werewolf Boyfriend Alert.

Okay.

"Isaac took the truck, you'll have to take the other car" Peter chimes in, before smirking at the hunters and disappearing up the stairs. Cora gives Stiles a half hug and goes up too, leaving the four men alone.

Stiles gathers his backpack and leads the way out of the loft and into the garage of the building, where they go to a Camaro.

A black, sleek Camaro, that Derek unlocks and gets into.

Dean whistles quietly, but the werewolf is smirking by the time they actually leave, so Sam is counting on him listening to it anyway.

It doesn't take long for them to get to the Sheriff's house, and he has to almost drag Dean out of the car before Stiles gets out to give him and his boyfriend a moment of privacy.

Soon, the car is leaving, and Stiles leads them inside.

By the looks of things, it's going to be a long night.

**X**

"You guys hungry?" It's what Stiles asks as soon as he drops his backpack full of old books on the couch in the living room, going straight to the kitchen.

"I could eat" Sam answers, and Dean looks at him. His brother shrugs and they follow the kid into the kitchen.

He's opening and closing doors in cabinets, taking out pans and ingredients for pasta, apparently, and Dean can see the resemblance.

He didn't know Sarah for very long, hell, he didn't even know her very well at all – he was such a mess as a teen, trying to act as if he cared about nothing but himself and hunting, lost half the time, trying to take care of Sammy and at the same time resenting his dad for it. Getting to know Sarah hadn't really been one of his priorities, but he had liked her.

She was smart and funny, she also had a very calming presence, something that Stiles didn't seem to have inherited from her – actually, he didn't seem to take after her, or Dean, of even the Sheriff with his mannerisms and behavior – he was pretty much… him.

He wasn't even all that much like his own friends, now that Dean had spent some time watching them. Stiles was quite unique.

"I hope you guys aren't very picky about food, because I'm not great at cooking or anything."

"We eat pretty much anything" Sam answers, sitting at the table. Dean takes the seat beside his and just watches the kid for a bit, moving around the kitchen easily. Used to it.

Being the Sheriff's kid can't be easy either. Not like being a hunter's kid, but all the same, the pressure, the long hours, the danger – Stiles _has_ to know how to take care of himself, right? Especially if he walks around with a bunch of werewolves.

"How did you get involved with… the pack?" Dean asks, hesitating before the word, because he's not sure he should call them that or not. This is all so weird.

Stiles looks up from where he's washing his hands and stares at him for a few seconds before turning back to the sink.

"I took Scott out to the woods one night, to try and look for a dead body. I heard dad talking, and I wanted to see it. Scott got bitten by the old Alpha that night, and it all went from there, you know? I couldn't let him face this alone." He finishes with a small shrug, and Dean wishes he had a beer in his hand, to take a small sip out of before being brave enough to ask the next question he wanted to ask.

Sam seems to know what he wants to ask, because he's shaking his head very discretely, but Dean ignores him.

"What about Derek? I mean, you guys been dating for a while?"

Stiles actually stops what he's doing and arches an eyebrow at Dean, telling him just how unimpressed he is with his attempt at subtlety.

"Three months. And we actually told my dad before we even started going out or anything."

"And your dad gave you guys his blessing" Dean states, not completely able to leave the judgment out of his voice, "And he had no issues, not even with this guy's age" Dean continues, "Or species."

Stiles snorts.

"He has issues, but he trusts me. And he loves me. So he supports us, yes."

Dean keeps quiet, but shakes his head a bit, looking down.

Of course the man had no problem with Derek's age – he himself was ten years older than Sarah.

"You are not really going there, are you?" Stiles asks, leaning against the counter, and crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Dean startles a bit, because the kid's voice is angry, and he's sure he hasn't said anything out loud.

"I didn't say a word."

"Oh, I know, but you look like you're judging my dad for Derek being in my life and it's absurd. My dad doesn't see himself in Derek or any crap like that, okay? My dad never did anything wrong in his life. The first time I talked to Derek, he was being arrested. He was then exonerated, but he was arrested twice, because I accused him, by the way. Also, being an Alpha is not exactly an easy job, so, yeah, he had to get his hands dirty once or twice, but so did I – but my dad? He never did anything wrong. Hell, he wouldn't even _date_ mom properly until she was eighteen. Not that _you_ had a problem with that, right?"

"Hey" Dean starts, fighting the urge to get up from his chair, "I was seventeen too, okay? I wasn't exactly known for making the best decisions back then, and I'm sorry I didn't keep in touch with Sarah, but I didn't know. Things weren't as easy back then as they are now."

"And if they were, would you have? Would you have kept in touch, come back when she told you she was pregnant?"

"If I had known, I would have never left" Dean says, his voice thick with emotion, because he hadn't exactly let himself _think_ about this yet. Not really, "Family has always been everything to me, and Sammy would have had dad, and I would have stayed. I would have tried to help."

Stiles stares at him for a long moment, his eyes determined and hurt, and Dean thinks he almost gets it – he loves his father, the one who raised him, but this is the guy who got his mother pregnant and skipped town, and now the kid doesn't know how to deal. Dean finally gets up and out the door. Sam calls his name, but he just waves him off, and sits on the steps on the porch.

He himself doesn't even know why he's doing what he's doing. Sam could keep watching the kid by himself and call them if there's any trouble, but he wants to be around. He wants to get to know this kid, because it's _his kid_, and yeah, maybe Stiles doesn't want anything to do with him yet, maybe he never will, but it's probably Dean's only and last shot at having any kind of family outside of Sam.

Even with Ben, it was different. The kid had way more in common with him than Stiles did, and yet Lisa had known he wasn't Dean's, and it mattered. The whole year they spent living together, Ben was always there, but he wasn't Ben's dad even if he liked pretending he was. And it was so easy to erase himself from their lives, as if he never existed, even if for their own good – it was easy.

In Stiles, though, there was no erasing that, it was in his blood, in the shape of his eyes – hopefully in other things too that he would learn if he could have more time to do it, and the angels didn't screw everything up.

The door behind him opens and Dean doesn't even turn, knowing Sam's footsteps.

The younger brother sits by his side and offers him a beer.

"Stiles asked me to bring you this, and to say he's sorry. I guess out of all the things he could have inherited from you, your short temper is what comes out the fastest."

Dean snorts but doesn't say anything else.

"They are good together, you know? Not only Stiles and Derek, but the whole pack. Watching them this afternoon, Dean, they are a team. They work well together, and while they are kids, mostly, they are older than we were when we started helping dad, and it's not like they don't have a support net if anything happens. That Peter guy is older, and Derek too. They have the Sheriff by their side, and Stiles' best friend's mother is a nurse, and one of the kid's father is the best lawyer in town – they are covered in all and every aspects, and they are careful. You don't have to worry."

"I'm not sure I'm worried, I'm just…" he struggles for words for a few seconds, because he truly doesn't even know what his problem is, "It's my son, Sammy. A kid of flesh and blood that is half mine. For real. And I don't know, man, that's messed up."

Dean shakes his head and takes a sip of his beer, looking down the street. He hasn't seen anyone around yet, and has to wonder if the werewolves are that good at hiding themselves, or if there isn't any werewolf there tonight.

"I know the situation isn't ideal, but, well, is it so bad?" Sam asks, and Dean shakes his head again.

"Angels are trying to kill him, Sam, just because _I_ am his father. And even if they weren't, what kind of kid needs someone like _me_ in their life, as a father figure? It's just… That year with Lisa and Ben, the only reason it wasn't the best year of my life is because you weren't there. But I thought, it's never gonna happen, I don't have a single shot at something like this, I'll never have that again. I'll never be a dad, I'll never have a kid, and now _this_ happens, and it's just cruel, man, that's what it is, it's damn cruel, because I can see it, but I can't have it."

"Maybe you can" Sam starts, and raises his hands when Dean makes to interrupt, "I'm not saying tell Stiles to drop everything and adopt the Winchester lifestyle. I don't wish that on _anyone_, you know that. But he seems to be a great kid, hell, he didn't abandon his best friend when he became a _werewolf_, Dean, and his boyfriend _clearly_ has a lot of issues, and yet he's there for them. Maybe you can have this, you can have a relationship with him" Sam puts a hand on his shoulder and comes closer, "And as far as I'm concerned, you are a great father figure to have around" then he gets up and gets in, leaving Dean to look down the street.

This is so messed up.

* * *

**REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

**home is a fire**

**chapter five**

Dinner is a weird affair, but it goes without any more emotional outbursts, so it's cool, for the most part. Sam actually does the dishes, because Stiles cooks, and Dean walks around the house, drawing a few symbols that they hope will work against angels for the time being, at least.

When he's done, he sits on the steps in front of the house again, staring at the street. Stiles is in his room, researching, and Sam is on the phone with Kevin, trying to see if they have anything back home that could be useful.

Suddenly, a shadow starts moving towards him and he fights the urge to shoot first when he sees it's one of the kids from Stiles' pack – Scott, if he's not mistaken.

"Hey" the kid greets with a small smile, and Dean thinks it makes him look a bit like a puppy – and also a whole lot younger.

"You keeping watch?" Dean asks back, and the kid shrugs, sitting by Dean on the steps.

"Not really. Peter has first watch, I just came by to see how things were going."

"Stiles is upstairs."

"Oh, I know. I can hear him on the phone with Lydia, and when they get into research mode I prefer not to be around, because they get so mean. It's like they hate each other, really. I don't like it."

Dean scoffs and keeps looking around, trying to find the Peter guy, but can't.

It kind of pisses him off that werewolves are so good at hiding.

"We didn't know anything about the Sheriff not being Stiles' real dad until, like, three months ago" the kid starts, looking ahead, "He got really pissed off at Jackson one day, because he was whining about being adopted, and Stiles just… burst it all out. He loves his dad more than anything in the world, he can't even think about losing him, he would do _anything_ for him, really, and the Sheriff is the same" he makes a pause, looking at Dean, and the man pretends he doesn't see the teen struggling, as if deciding what to say, "I met Stiles at the hospital, when my mom got her job there, after my dad left us. I didn't really realize the reason Stiles spent so much time there was because his mom was sick, and I didn't understand why he suddenly stopped coming, or why I'd never see him around town that summer. When school started we found each other again, and he's been like my brother ever since. He's saved my life more times than I can count, he's saved Derek's too, way more than we have saved him, and he's amazing, because he's strong and smart, even if he's a bit of a jerk, but the one thing he could never lose is his dad."

"I'm not here to steal him away, kid. I would never do that."

"Good" he nods, as if conforming something, "His mom's death almost destroyed him and his dad. They are everything each other has, but Stiles has a way of always… having a bit more space for the weirdest people. He would never give up on me, and I've had my fair share of being a shitty friend. He learned to like Isaac, and he won Lydia over with his friendship, and even got Jackson to like him, and Peter is always saying Stiles is his favorite, even though Stiles actually helped us torch him to death once. There's always room in his heart, no matter what you've done, as long as you love him back, and show him that you care. I'm not saying you'll get to be his dad, because he _has_ a dad, he doesn't really need another, but he'll care for you if you're worth it."

Dean stares at the kid for a second, incredulous. The teen just grins at him and gets into the house, clearly used to just wondering in at any time of day or night.

Truth is that Dean _wants_ that. Not to replace Stiles' father, of course, he could never even hope to do that, but to get to know his kid, know what Stiles is like.

He just hopes that the kid is right, and Stiles will have room for him too.

**X**

John gets home a little after three and sighs heavily after closing the door. It's like the day just _won't end_, and he had believed they weren't having any more of those lately.

When he gets to the living room, he sees Dean there, looking at him with a scared kind of relief – he must have woken up when John unlocked the door, and is calm now that he realizes is just Stiles' dad and not an angel coming to kill… well, _their_ kid.

Isn't that a weird thought?

"Everything okay after I left?" he asks in a quiet voice, even though chances are that Stiles is still awake and online.

The hunter nods briefly, and doesn't say anything, looking away from John, almost embarrassedly.

The Sheriff sighs and goes to the couch – it seems all he does these days is comfort the people Stiles brings into their lives.

Derek and Jackson, and even that girl Cora. That was an awkward conversation that had started out by her trying to threaten Stiles and ended with her crying on John's shoulder.

He really hopes this one won't end the same way.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier today. I was feeling threatened, and I don't like that feeling very much – I'm a Sheriff, after all."

Dean just nods, staring at the carpet and John looks at the man, really looks at him – the tense way he holds himself at all times, as if he's waiting for an attack, the way his eyes look much, much older than his thirty something should. He's a survivor.

"You didn't have to be here at all. If you were the kind of person I accused you from being, you wouldn't have come to try and save my kid, especially because you didn't even know he existed. Stiles is a handful, always has been, and when Sarah passed away, if I didn't have him, I don't know what I would have done, because causing trouble and distracting me when I was starting to feel miserable seems to be what he does best. I'm not saying it'll be easy, or that it'll even happen, but I can see Stiles giving you a chance, if you want it" he pauses and looks at the window, tilting his head a bit, "He is, after all, dating a man he accused of murder. Twice."

Dean snorts at that, and John gets up, going upstairs to his room. He sees Dean laying down again, and hopes he's doing the right thing – which seems to be all he's doing these past few months. Hoping for the best.

When he gets to his room, there's another surprise there.

Stiles is sitting on his bed, wide awake, and twisting his hands as he's prone to do when he's so anxious about something that he can't put it into words.

John closes the door carefully, goes into his bathroom and changes into pajamas, brushes his teeth, cleans up and comes out again, sitting on the bed by his son.

"Out with it" he says, and Stiles snorts a small laugh.

"I don't think I can hate him" the kid says, and John sighs again. He's quite sure that neither he nor Sarah were this emotionally constipated.

"You don't have to hate him. You can feel however you want to feel about him."

"Yeah, but… He left mom. He left me."

"He didn't know you existed, and I think him leaving girls behind is a thing he did. Or does."

Stiles laughs again at that.

"You know, in the books, I was hoping he'd get together with Castiel. Now I think that's weird, because he's… you know, kind of my father? And I don't think I should be hoping he gets laid."

John laughs at that, shaking his head.

"I should hope not. Although, maybe he does need someone, apart from his brother. Someone who can ground him."

Stiles turns his head, and stares at him, unimpressed.

"Are you trying to nudge me into giving him a chance? Because you're not subtle at all, dad."

John shrugs a bit.

"As long as you don't get your hopes up that we'll be a couple, I'm good."

"God, dad, ew!"

"Look, son, I love you. You're everything to me. After all we've been through this past year, after everything that happened to us and around us, I'm glad we're at a place where we can be honest with each other again, where we can trust each other again. Where I can trust you, pack of werewolves and Alpha boyfriend and all. I'm not afraid I'll lose you to him because you're mine. You always will be. I'll always be your father, even if you let him into your life. It's your choice, but you have my complete support in whatever it is you choose to do."

Stiles twists around and hugs his dad tightly.

"Thanks, dad. I love you."

"I love you too" he mutters, and then pushes the kid away, "Now off to bed, because you should be sleeping."

Stiles smiles at him and goes.

He hopes he's doing the right thing.

**X**

"I have _no news._"

The announcement startles Dean awake and he looks up from the couch, where he spent the night, to find Stiles staring at him with an angry face.

"And I know they say no news is good news, except in this case it isn't, because no news means no information, and I'm afraid we are at a dead end here. There's nothing about angels in the Bestiary or anywhere else, for that matter, that could keep me hidden from them, if that's even what we want. The main problem is we don't even _know_ what we have to do. What should we be looking for, I mean, we should be looking into what we can do to send these angels back to their home, and, if possible, keep them there indefinitely, but I have a feeling this is not our part in this mess – I mean, we have had our fair share of trouble here in Beacon Hills, but we're not quite up to save the world, yet. We're more at a save our skins stage still. What do you think?"

"What time is it?" the man asks, looking around, finding no sign of Sam.

"Seven. Dad's sleeping and Sam went out to get us some breakfast. Do you want some coffee?" he asks, going into the kitchen, and Dean gets up, rubs his eyes and follows.

What else _can_ he do, anyway?

When he gets to the kitchen, Stiles hands him a mug full of coffee.

"Thanks."

The kid nods at him and fills up a mug for him too, sitting at the kitchen table.

Dean follows his lead and sits down too.

"Scott told me he talked to you last night. And knowing Scott, he probably made me out to be a Disney princess, which I am not. So I felt it was my… obligation to let you know that I don't know what I think about any of this. I've read the books on half your life, man, and you were my favorite character, but that's all you were, a character. I can't even say you are different than what I thought my biological father would be, because I've never pictured him. Not even when my dad and I went through a rougher patch, I never thought of him as anything else than the only dad I would ever have, and I don't know. This is weird – and I'm in a werewolf pack, so my standard for weird is pretty high."

"Well, my whole life is a pile of weird and I'm not doing any better."

Stiles stares at him, and Dean can't quite decipher the look he's being given.

"What do you _want_?" the kid asks, leaning forward a bit, and Dean arches an eyebrow at him.

"In life?!" he asks back, and Stiles shakes his head.

"No, out of this. What do you want? I mean, I know you said you only ever found out about me because you were looking into family that angels could come and hurt, and I've read enough about you to know that you would sacrifice yourself for _anyone_ with your blood, but you have to know that you have no obligation towards me. You don't _need_ to care about me, Dean. You can just… help us solve this mess, and forget all about it, you don't have to care."

"You mean you don't want me around" Dean shots back, leaning away from Stiles, his voice going a bit colder, because it shouldn't, but it does hurt.

"That's not what I meant. I just… Look, your life is complicated enough without the adding up of a son you didn't know you had, and who was clearly a mistake. I don't want you to want to get to know me just because you think you have to. If you want, we can talk, and we can get to know each other, and, well, you're never going to be my dad, but we can be… something. Friends first, probably. But you have to know that you don't _have_ to. I don't want to be an obligation."

Dean takes a deep breath and looks around for a moment, trying to decide what to say – mainly because he spent half the night awake thinking about it.

He knows what he wants.

"Look, my dad was everything to me growing up. Even though I hate those damn books, if you read them, you know that. But he was… he was a crappy father, kid. Bobby's done more for me and Sam than our dad ever did, and he's gone now too. Sam is all I have, and don't think I don't know our relationship is a messed up one, because I know that, but without him, I have… no one. There's no more family left in any of our sides, and I know I can trust Charlie, and Garth, and Kevin, but they are not family."

"You left Castiel out" Stiles points out, and Dean snorts.

"_That_ is a work in progress. But my point is that… I know I'm never going to get married to a hot blond and have two kids. I know I'm never going to settle down and have a beer watching the sunset while my kids play on the lawn. I'm not cut out for that. I'm a hunter. There's no place for a normal family in this, and I don't want it to be, because raising a child to be a hunter is the cruelest thing a father can do."

"Don't we know it" Stiles mutters, and Dean half smiles, even though he doesn't really get what made the kid think like that.

"And also, you have to know that I really had no idea Sarah was pregnant. I didn't leave _because_ of it. I left because that's what we did. We stayed in town long enough for dad to finish his job, and we would keep on moving. I know it doesn't help my case any, but I was also really, _really_ messed up when I was your age – even more than I am now, and hell, but I do have issues, and I know that. But I didn't know. You weren't planned, and I have a feeling Sarah's family isn't really a part of your life, but I don't regret knowing about you, and I want a chance to get to know you. You are… my blood, Stiles, even if we're not family yet. But I would like to try, if you give me a chance."

"Sarah's family thinks that I got her pregnant, and they _hate_ me for it, because she was so bright, and smart, and had such potential, and ended up being my wife and Stiles' mom before anything else."

Both Dean and Stiles startle a bit, looking behind them to see the Sheriff getting into the kitchen, taking a seat beside Stiles on the table.

"When she got sick, they didn't come to see her, not even once. Her family had always been difficult, but it hurt, because it wasn't just Sarah, it was our son who was hurting too, and because of something that happened when she was a teen, they didn't even see their daughter pass away. We're short on family too, Dean, it's just the two of us, and, well, the pack, I guess. And you have to know that you will never be his father, because that's _my_ job, but you're welcome to stay and get to know him, because Stiles deserves to know you."

"Thank you" Dean answers, and the Sheriff smirks a bit.

"Of course we'll have a lot of fun when Stiles tells you how he ended up in the pack, and how many times I had to stop one of my deputies from arresting him."

"That was _once_!" the kid protests, and Dean can't stop the smile, because he looks so indignant.

"That you know of. Honestly, Stiles, before Scott became a werewolf, I knew every single thing you were doing."

"You think you're funny, but you're really not."

"Why don't you tell Dean about the time you got a restraining order against you because you stole a Police car and kidnapped your classmate?"

"I was helping him! He was the Kanima, you now that, dad! Oh my God!"

"You could also tell him how I caught you at a gay club and you tried to convince me you were gay instead of telling me one of your friends was paralyzing and killing people."

"I _am_ gay. Have you missed the tall, dark and broody that I call my boyfriend?"

"Not back then you weren't. You were still into Lydia."

"Let's not go there."

"Seven years" the Sheriff says, turning and staring at Dean, his face a mask of suffering, "For _seven years_ this kid whines and complains about his love for Lydia Martin. I know more about Lydia Martin's hair than her hairdresser, and then one day just, poof, I'm in love with the Alpha Werewolf."

"It so wasn't like that" the kid mutters.

"Do you see what you're getting yourself into?" John asks Dean, and he has to smile.

"My kind of kid" he answers, and Stiles smiles at him, for the first time since he arrived.

And if he looks just right, he can see his own mom in that smile.

And he has to admit: it's one of the best feelings in the world.

**X**

When Sam gets to the house with breakfast from a small place he found down the street, Stiles is actually _crying_.

Because he's laughing so much.

He takes one look at Sam and laughs even harder.

The taller man puts the bags on the table and tilts his head to the side, curious.

"Okay, what did I miss?"

"Clowns" Dean answers with a smirk, and Stiles starts laughing again.

"Oh, man, you're like, a _giant_, and you're afraid of clowns. Bad ass hunter and… clowns" he keeps laughing, and Sam sighs deeply.

He should have known.

"They are weird, okay? I bet you were afraid of them too."

"I used to _scare_ the clowns. There was one that refused to ever work at a party I was invited to, ever again."

Sam sits after washing his hands, and looks incredulous for a bit.

"Stiles' favorite movie when he was a kid was Addams Family Values. He and Sarah watched it a thousand times, and he would behave like Wednesday for _days_ after every time they watched. Then, one weekend, there were two parties for two of his classmates, and both of them booked the same clown, and, well, it's quite creepy for a six year old to follow the clown around and keep telling him he's a psychopath, never smiling, insisting on wearing black, all that stuff. He creeped the man out so much, I actually think he went out of business and now works at a garage somewhere" the Sheriff explains, and Stiles smirks, satisfied.

"Of course," the man follows, "this story spread among the parents, and soon Stiles was suffering from a severe lack of party invitations."

Stiles' smile dies down a bit, but it's fonder now than before.

"And then, on my seventh birthday, mom made sure the whole party was Addams themed, and it was awesome. Lydia made for an amazing Morticia even back then." He turns to Sam, and smiles broadly, "See? I can defend you from the evil clowns, don't worry."

Sam laughs and shakes his head, and they eat for a bit, swapping stories, the tamer ones, in Sam and Dean's cases, from their past.

He can only gather that, given the fact they are eating and telling stories, Dean and Stiles actually talked and came to some sort of agreement.

This is good.

After they eat, the Sheriff has to get back to work, and Dean goes back to the motel to pick up Cas and Charlie, so they can try and work out a plan now that they know nothing supernatural can actually help them.

Sam stays behind, and helps Stiles with the dishes.

"Thank you" he says, kind of without really planning to.

"What for?" the kid asks, looking at him as he loads the dishwasher.

"For giving him a chance. I know it can't be easy for you but… Dean needs this" he thinks about it for a moment, and then decides to take the plunge, because this can be a good thing for his brother, and he can't let him just lose it, "When we are on the job, Dean sometimes… forgets that I'd be just as lost without him as he is without me. He just… puts me as his priority, and forgets that I need him to be alive too. With you maybe… maybe he'll finally get it through his thick skull that there are more people in this world who care about him, that he doesn't need to be this self-sacrificing asshole the whole time, that we can help him too, that it isn't his fault every time things go wrong."

Stiles looks startled and Sam worries for a second that he has said too much, but the kid sits on a chair and puts his head on his hands for a moment.

"Oh, God, I have daddy issues and I didn't even know it."

"What?" Sam asks, looking at Stiles curiously, and the kid stares at him, blinking slowly.

"You have just described Derek. Everyone is a priority, every mistake is his fault, every chance he gets to almost get killed to save _anyone_ he'll take it. It's Derek all over."

Sam tries very hard not to laugh, but a small smile ends up making an appearance despite himself.

"Well, then you already have the practice. So, thanks."

Stiles just nods at him and shakes his head afterwards, looking disbelieving.

Soon, Dean is back with Castiel and Charlie, and they sit around the living room, waiting for Stiles' pack to show up.

"Why aren't they here already?" Charlie asks, before sitting down, and pulling her iPad from her bag, "I mean, it's a life and death situation here. These two won't let us sleep when one of those is going down." She's frowning, as if questioning Sam and Dean's methods.

"Well, apart from Derek and Peter, everyone in this pack is a teenager. You try and get them to work before nine am during the holidays" Stiles answers, texting someone on his phone.

Dean shakes his head and Sam just accepts the answer, but Cas is staring at the room curiously. His eyes fall on Stiles and _stay_ there, and the kid starts to fidget soon after.

"What?" he ends up asking, when Castiel has been staring at him for a good five minutes.

But before Castiel can say anything the house is being invaded by teens and their Alpha.

"Where's Peter?" Stiles asks as soon as Derek gets in, and the man sighs deeply.

"Out. Said he had something to see about something else – in these exact words, might I add – and left."

Scott shakes his head.

"We should just… never trust him again."

"We don't" Lydia and Stiles answer at the same time, and Sam contains a smile. These kids are entertaining.

They settle down and Sam is pleased to see that they actually _are_ a pretty organized bunch. Derek controls the wolves with a look, sometimes with a quiet growl, Stiles seems to find the whole thing very amusing, especially when he goads the blond kid, Jackson, into snapping at him, and Derek always takes his side, even when he's wrong.

But even if they are an exceptional bunch of young people, they don't have any answers, and neither do the hunters – they are back at square one.

The best plan actually seems to be just… send the angels back, and they'll leave Stiles alone.

Hopefully.

He says so out loud, and is met with a very displeased stare from his… nephew's boyfriend.

Well, isn't _that_ weird?

"Are we just giving up, then?" Cora asks, and she seems angry.

Before anyone can answer, the older guy, Peter, just… shows up by the door, as if he had been there the whole time.

"Of course not. We hide Stiles the same way you two are hidden" he says.

"You're hidden? Oh my _God_, I'm so stupid, of course you are hidden, it's all in the books!" Stiles says, his voice hopeful, but Dean is already shaking his head.

"Cas did that, and he can't anymore. He lost all of his… angel fairy dust."

"So the way to keep me hidden from an _angel_ is to have _an angel_ hide me?" When the brothers nod at him, Stiles shakes his head.

"Well, isn't this just amazing?"

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

**home is a fire**

**chapter six**

"Actually, it kind of is" Peter goes on, walking to the middle of the room and looking around, smirking.

Dean has a feeling that this guy enjoys being painted as a villain.

"What…" Stiles starts, but Peter just raises a hand, asking for silence, before going on.

"I know you are all full of scruples, and you would never have gone to any kind of… shadier source of information if you had the chance, so I went, and I found some things out. We can hide Stiles with the help of an angel, one that has full capacity to use their power to hide him, and we can achieve that by summoning one to us. Deaton has already agreed to do it."

"Deaton is dangerous" Derek bites out, his eyes bleeding red for a moment. Dean notices Stiles putting a hand on his arm and the man seems to calm down some, but not much.

"We know that, but Deaton also _owes_ us. In more ways than one, because Blake would have gone after him and his sister if Stiles and Lydia hadn't stopped her. He'll do the summoning, he'll make the threats, all we have to do is show up."

"That's crap" Aidan says, shaking his head, "If we do that, then the angel will _know_ where Stiles is. If he hides him, he is the one to know, he'll know _who _Stiles is too, which seems to be the one thing keeping him safe right now."

"That's why Deaton has already agreed to kill the angel when we are done with him" Peter states, as if he's talking about buying burgers, "He won't be able to mess with us if he doesn't exist, now will he? And as far as I can tell, the angels are actually the enemy, so it'll be one more threat for daddy dearest over there to deal with when the time comes. It's this, or we keep hiding Stiles forever, or, worse, actually see him die, or be tortured, because I don't think creatures such as angels will have much mercy when it comes to this. They are soldiers, after all."

Dean doesn't really like the way this whole situation is just… solved, as if it were this easy from the beginning, but he has to admit is sounds like a solid plan.

"I don't know, man" Scott says, looking at Stiles and then Derek, "I mean, killing an angel sounds just… wrong. And you know I care a lot about Deaton, but the guy isn't really… good. I don't know."

Stiles bites his lips and exhale loudly, looking around the room.

"Lydia?" he asks, and the two of them look intently at each other, having a silent conversation.

"I'm for it. We know Deaton is who he is, but he's been playing his part as he should. If he had _offered_ the help, I'd be more concerned, but we all know Peter doesn't ask for things, he blackmails them out of people, so, if he has something to hold over Deaton's head, I'm for it."

Peter smirks, seeming pleased with himself.

"You have until two to decide, that's when the most auspicious moment for the summoning is, apparently. You know what to do, and where to go, so I'll leave your merry gang to it."

And with that he leaves through the front door, as if he hasn't just suggested they kill a freaking angel.

"What do _you_ think?" Jackson asks Dean, and he turns to stare at the kid. Out of all the teens, he seems to be the one who doesn't quite… fit in like all the others do, "You have experience dealing with this kind of thing, what do you think?"

Dean takes a deep breath and thinks about it before talking.

"Who is this Deaton, and why don't you want to trust him?" he asks, because when it comes down to it, that's the main problem. He's dealt with a _lot_ of people in his life that shouldn't be trusted, but trust is relative, especially in a situation like this.

"He's Scott's boss" Stiles starts, "He's an emissary. In theory, he's the Hale Pack's emissary, but he doesn't really follow the rules anymore. He tried to encourage Scott to become an Alpha, which could have got him killed, and would _definitely_ get Derek in trouble; he knew that Lydia was immune to all things magical and he didn't think it prudent to tell us that until we had pretty much figured it out by ourselves; he kept information from us when we were dealing with the Alpha pack; he let Kali believe that Derek had killed Ennis, when it was really Deucalion who did it; he knew Blake was the Darach we were having trouble with and he didn't tell us, and when he _did_, he pretty much set Lydia and me up, and we had to fight her on our own. Without much more to go on with than have faith and enjoy."

"So he wants you guys dead?" Sam asks, his voice disbelieving as Stiles shakes his head.

"I think he only has some kind of Yoda complex. He never says everything, he's always keeping things to himself, and he keeps trying to guide us through the path _he_ thinks is the right one, but it may not really be it. He decided Derek wouldn't be a good Alpha, so he set Scott up for the job, even though he _knew_ it could get Scott killed. He decided Lydia and I could use the training to get the Darach, so he set us up to find a whole lot of clues on our own, without telling us that he knew from the beginning that Derek's gi… that our English teacher was it the whole time. Forget Yoda, he thinks he's Dumbledore, and we are all his Harry Potters" he stops for a moment and looks at Derek, shrugging a bit, "Doesn't mean he's wrong about this, though. Especially if Peter is twisting his arm."

Derek still looked unconvinced, though, and Dean decides it's time to intervene – he doesn't know much about how this kind of werewolves work, but he has a feeling that the whole room could be in favor of this plan, if Derek wasn't, then it wouldn't happen.

"I think we should at least try it. Summoning an angel is not that difficult, and we've done this before to know if he's doing something wrong. We can't try to do it ourselves because we don't really have the stuff to do it anymore, and the part I'm really worried about is killing it afterwards. Can this guy do it? Can he really kill an angel? Because it's not just jump him, or shoot him, it takes a whole _lot_ to do something like that, you know?"

"I really don't know" Stiles says, shaking his head, "Last time we saw each other, we didn't really part on the best of terms, and I might have said some things that he wasn't really fond of hearing…"

"It didn't stop them from being the truth, though" Cora says, her voice cold, colder than any teenage girl's voice had a right to be, "What Blake could have done to Derek because Deaton was playing at being Dumbledore is unforgivable, and he deserved what you told him. He knows that."

"He may know that, but can he really help me? Why would he?"

"Because is the right thing to do" Scott says, looking at Stiles with hard eyes, "He's not the villain, Stiles."

"He certainly isn't the good guy either" Stiles answers, and the two friends glare at each other.

"Who is in this room, really? There are no good guys in this, and if Deaton says he can help, he will" the kid looks at Derek then, "You know I'm right, Derek, and if there's one thing we will always agree on is Stiles' safety. We need to help him, and if Deaton's plan works, we'll be safe."

"And if it doesn't, we'll be dead, because I'm thinking one angel, untrapped, can take all of us out" Stiles argues.

"What do _you_ think?" Lydia asks in a loud voice, looking straight at Castiel, "You were an angel, after all, or maybe you still are, I'm not clear on the details, but you know how this is supposed to go. Can you tell us if Deaton, or the angel he'll summon, are doing something wrong or harmful?"

"I'm able to do that, yes. I don't have any of my… powers anymore, but I'm still an angel."

"So that settles, then. We try, and if they are doing something wrong, we kill them" the girl says casually, and Dean's eyes widen, not exactly at the suggestion, but at the flippant way a teenage girl with shoes that probably cost more than the Impala just says they're going to kill someone.

"Agreed" Derek finally says, and Scott shakes his head.

"Sure, suggest to kill someone, and he'll agree."

"I'm with them" Stiles says.

"Of course you are" Scott shoots back, and they are glaring again.

"I'm not getting into this again" Stiles says, sighing.

"No one is. Meet us at Deaton's ten minutes before two. I want the whole pack there in case anything goes wrong" Derek orders them, and the teens start leaving, Scott and the tall blond, Isaac, leaving last, with the shorter one muttering angrily under his breath.

"I honestly though he was over this" Stiles says, sighing and dropping on the couch. Derek looks at him, and seems to decide to ignore the rest of the people in the room.

"He is over it most of the time. He's over it until it comes a time when he has to face that I'm the leader, and he's not, and then things get complicated, you know that."

"It's not the you leading thing, Derek, it's the us thing. _You_ know that too."

Derek just sighs and stares at Stiles with an exasperated look, as if he doesn't know what to say, until the teen sighs and shakes his head.

"It's not going to be a thing, I just… thought he could be over this by now. He and Allison are back together, things are good with them, why can't he just be happy for us like we are for them?"

"I'm not happy for them" Derek says, looking at Stiles with an eyebrow raised, "I think she and Scott are going to crash and burn along the road, and you know that. They can't work together, Stiles, she's a hunter."

The last word is said like hunter is the worst thing a person can be, and Stiles stares at his boyfriend for a long moment. He looks at Dean then, and back at Derek before speaking.

"My biological father is a hunter too. Does that mean we won't work?"

"Your father is not an Argent" Derek answers simply, and gets up, going into the kitchen.

Stiles exhales loudly and looks up to find Dean staring at him.

"Sorry about that" he says to the room at large.

"I take it there's a story in there somewhere?" Sam says, and Dean can see Charlie's eyes stop moving on the screen, in the way that she does when she's paying attention to the room, and not her screen.

"Allison's aunt… wasn't a very good person. Neither was her grandfather. Chris is a good enough man, but he's blind to a few things. Probably by the way he was raised. He doesn't trust Derek, and Allison has a hard time dealing with a lot of things – she helps us, and we help her when she needs it, but she's not a part of the pack, mainly because she doesn't trust Derek, and he doesn't trust her. She really loves Scott, though. I believe in the power of love, Derek doesn't think they'll last. It's kind of a sore point between him and Scott, and it seems to always be the main reason why they fight. That and me."

"Why you?" Charlie asks before Dean can.

"Because Scott thinks Stiles could do better than me" Derek answers, getting back to the living room.

"But as Scott has no say in my love life, actually, as _no one_ but me has a say in my love life, he'll just have to learn to deal."

It feels like a line that has been said a thousand times before, and Dean feels this is an issue that they have, and are still working through.

It can't really be easy, being the human in the middle of werewolves and hunters. Being the boyfriend of the Alpha of the pack probably means he outranks his best friend too. It must be very confusing.

"So, we're doing this, then? We're going to summon an angel, blackmail him into hiding me by tattooing my ribs with his holy magic, and then killing it?"

As Derek nods, Dean has to admit that it sounds pretty bad when someone just says it all out loud.

He just hopes there'll be better results than they expect.

**X**

"You're worried."

Castiel's voice is firm and steady, as it always is. It's like even being almost human right now he still hasn't mastered how to show emotions – or the right emotions – at the appropriate times.

"Yeah, we'll be summoning one of the enemies to come and help my kid, and having to kill it afterwards. We don't have a good track record for killing angels, Cas."

"If it doesn't work, I'll stay behind and protect him."

Dean looks at the angel then, not because of what he said, but the way he says it, not like a question, but a statement.

"Not much you can do against a full on angel, Cas. They don't have wings anymore, but you don't have your powers."

"It may be so, but I'll protect him with my life until you can get back here and save him."

"You would die for a kid you haven't even exchanged ten words with?" Dean's voice is disbelieving, and Castiel looks ahead of him, towards the houses on the other side of the street from the Sheriff's garden.

"Yes, I would" he answers, solemnly.

"Why, Cas? You don't have to sacrifice yourself to prove you're worthy or anything like that."

Castiel is silent for a long moment before answering, and he doesn't look at Dean when he starts talking.

"It's not because I have something to prove to you or to me. It's because he's yours. I know you care deeply about family, Dean, and that boy is your son. And if he means anything to you, then I would gladly die to protect him. Because he matters to _you_."

The angel looks at him then, his piercing blue eyes steady and calm.

"I know I have made mistakes. I know I didn't tell you all you needed to know, and I know I may be the cause of all of this problem right now, by trusting Metatron. But I need you to know, Dean, that I… care deeply for you. More than I care for anyone else, even if I feel dishonest by saying this. I should care about all of God's creatures the same way, and yet I can't."

Dean doesn't really know how to answer to that, because he himself is very confused about his relationship with Castiel. And he can't think of this kind of thing right now, because he has to hide his son, he has to send the angels back, and he doesn't even know how things are going to be if they do manage to send them all back to heaven.

What if Cas changes again? What if they mess with his head, and he goes back to being a douche?

What then?

He settles for taking a deep breath and putting his hand on Cas' shoulder, squeezing hard.

Castiel looks down and away, but takes a small step closer to Dean, not saying anything.

Maybe they'll be fine.

Hopefully.

**X**

At two o'clock they pile up into Deaton's office, and the man only raises his eyebrows to show his surprise at seeing four more people than he was expecting.

"I think it would be too much to ask why are there Winchesters in here too?" he asks, and Stiles glares at him.

"Yeah, it would. Can you help us or not?"

Deaton sighs, as if he's suffering a great torment at this, and looks at Stiles deeply.

"I would have hoped that your grudge against me would have passed by now, Stiles."

"Help me get out of this alive and hidden from any angels, and maybe it will" the teen answers, and Dean is oddly proud of the kid.

Derek doesn't do much more than glare at the man, and they follow him into the back, where he has already set up for the whole thing.

Castiel walks around the circle, and inclines his head, confirming that it is holy fire in there, and that the ritual is ready and good to go, no misgivings.

"Okay, let's do this" Stiles says, sighing, and Deaton lights the holy fire, speaking the words.

"This is not the ritual we used" Castiel whispers to him, and Dean stares at the angel intently.

"Is he doing something wrong?" he whispers back, and Cas tilts his head to the side.

"Not really… he's just… making sure it's not an enemy. He is doing the best he can" the angels adds, and Dean feels a little bit better, because he and Cas are still in a pretty shaky territory, but he trusts him enough to know that he wouldn't mess with his kid.

Suddenly, the fire flares up and starts to die down to a tamer flame, and everyone in the room tenses, waiting to see who is the angel they'll have to blackmail and then kill.

When they recognize the shape, Dean's eyes widen and he can hear Sam's sound of surprise.

"Hey, there. Did you miss me?"

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	7. Chapter 7

**home is a fire**

**chapter seven**

"Gabriel" Castiel's voice is filled with wonder, and Dean _has_ to agree.

Of all the angels, this is probably the _only one_ who won't screw them over.

"Hey, little brother. So, taking a stroll into small towns, making deals with shady witches. Living the good life, huh?" he looks around the room, and his whole face seems to grow into a smile, "My, my, werewolves, and witches in training, and sparks and the Winchesters! Now, that's what I call a welcome back committee. But I have to ask, why are you summoning me for?"

"How are you alive?" Sam blurts out, and Gabriel just stares at him as if pitying him.

"Cas can come back, you and your brother can play yoyo with being dead, but _I_ can't come back? I'm an _Archangel_, Sammy boy. I can come back just as much as anyone in this room can" he smiles at them at large, and then focus on the veterinarian again, "So, why did you call me?"

"We need a favor" Dean asks, before Deaton can start making things go badly by trying to blackmail Gabriel. This is also the _one_ angel who won't abide to being blackmailed into anything, "We need you to hide someone, like Cas did with me and Sam. Hide him from angels."

"Okaaaaay, and who would that be and why? Does it have to do with the fact that my brothers and sisters are knock knock knocking on Heaven's door and getting no answer? I should know you two would be all over that" he finishes sarcastically.

"So, you're not mad at that?" Stiles asks, and Gabriel turns to him, eyeing the kid speculatively.

"I tend to hide among humans. It's more fun that way, anyway, and I really don't like the squabbling siblings all over me. Big family, you know? I prefer my own privacy."

"Can you do it?" Dean insists, and Gabriel turns to him again.

"Who would I have to hide?"

Dean takes in a deep breath.

"My son" he says, and looks at Stiles, who waves at the angel trapped in the holy fire.

Gabriel actually looks gob smacked at that, and then he laughs.

Loudly.

"Well, well, well, you and Cas decided to adopt? Can't say I'm surprised, really, Cas would make a great mom."

"It's… it's not like that" Dean starts, as Cas looks at Gabriel, frowning.

"Two male parents can be just fathers. There's no need to label one of them as a female figure."

"Cas, shut up."

"I believe that's spouse abuse. You shouldn't stand for it, little brother."

"Can we get back to the point here?!" Stiles asks, sounding a bit freaked out, "I mean nothing against those two facing the music and getting it on, but I am so not ready to know about their lives that way, okay? Can you hide me or not?"

Gabriel smirks slowly, and stares directly at Stiles.

"Let me out of the fire, and I'll do it."

Everyone on the room trades looks, and Dean lets out a deep breath.

"Do it" he says to Deaton, who looks at Stiles and then Derek before putting the fire out.

Gabriel steps out of the circle on the floor, and, smiling all the way, walks up to Stiles, putting both his hands over the kid's ribcage. A clear light seems to emanate from him, and Stiles screams loudly, Isaac and Scott having to hold Derek back.

It's all over in thirty seconds, and then Gabriel steps away, and Stiles breaths in deeply.

"That's it?" he gasps, and Gabriel nods.

"That's it. You're hidden. No angel can find you, and if they do, they won't know who you really are. You're safe."

"How do you know he was at risk like that?" Dean asks, and Gabriel turns to him, looking very serious.

"I know all about this mess Metatron put us all in. I was team Free Will last time, and I'm not changing that now. Did you really think a half assed witch doctor could summon _me_ if I didn't want to? Your son is safe, Dean. And now we are ready to get out there and fight back."

Dean swallows hard right then.

He's right though, isn't he? There's no reason for him to stay here anymore, Stiles is safe and sound.

No more hiding. He has a war to fight.

**X**

"It seems a bit anticlimactic, doesn't it?" Stiles says as Dean throws his duffle bag into the trunk of his car. The others are giving them space, he suspects, by the way that is just the two of them out here right now.

Dean sighs and shrugs a bit, leaning against the car when he closes the trunk, and Stiles is by his side, both of them facing the crappy motel the hunters were staying in.

"Yeah, it was easy, but I guess it's just because it was the right thing to do. The next part will be a bit trickier."

"Sending the angels back home" the kid says, and Dean nods.

"Yeah. That and trying to understand what to do with the King of Hell, because we kind of broke him, and things are pretty shady on that front too."

Stiles is silent for a long moment, and then he turns and stares at Dean for a bit before talking.

"Don't you ever get tired? Of always fighting, always going after stuff that is trying to kill you? I mean, Beacon Hills isn't exactly the safest place ever, but I've got plans, you know. With Derek. It involves more than hunting stuff and being in danger."

"It's good that you do, kid" he says, turning to look at him too, "Don't…" he starts, and then takes a deep breath, "Don't let these things be your life, okay? I know your boyfriend is an Alpha and all, and all your friends are weird in some way, but don't let it be just that."

"I won't" he answers, and Dean smiles at him.

"Good" he says, and Stiles seems to stop for a moment, gathering courage for something.

He steps away from the car, takes a deep breath, and pulls Dean in for a hug.

"Don't get killed. I was mad at first, but I really don't want you to die before I can get to know you, okay?"

"I'll do my best" Dean says, and if his voice breaks a little no one needs to know.

He steps away and calls for the others, getting in and waving one last time at his… _son_.

It's weird, but just knowing that the kid would be safe and _waiting_ for him makes him a bit calmer.

As if he has a home to get back to.

And maybe now he does.

**X**

_Five years later_

"It's freaking GRADUATION, it's not the most important day of my life, it's not even the most important day of _this year_, oh my God, why is everyone making such a big deal out of this?!" Stiles exasperated voice echoes in the house, and The Sheriff and Dean trade a look.

"It's a big deal for us, now can you just… be here already? We just want you to enjoy this day, and be happy you're graduating alive and well. Can you do that for both your fathers' sake?" Derek says, and Stiles shows up at the top of the stairs, wearing a cap and gown.

"Look, I know you're all really proud and everything, but it's not like it's going to change anything, okay?"

"You're the first Winchester to graduate college in a very, very long time. So please just… be happy about it, okay? If you don't, Dean might actually explode or something" Sam says, and Dean thinks about answering back, but he doesn't, because his brother is kind of right.

He's freaking proud of his son, and all the way they have come to be here on this day.

Stiles doesn't call him dad or anything, but he does acknowledge him as his father every once in a while. Derek talked to him and the Sheriff _both_ before proposing to Stiles a month ago, and they talk pretty much every day ever since his son helped them with the angels thing five years before.

He is not on the line of fire, but he's not living the most peaceful life either. Beacon Hills gets its fair share of trouble to keep him entertained enough that he doesn't think about leaving, and Derek and the pack keep him safe enough that Dean or the Sheriff don't try to take him away.

It's a weird life they lead, but it seems to be easier now, simpler, _happier_.

Even when things get bad and they seem to be at the end of their rope, there's always the notion that he has a place he can call home now. A son, friends, Castiel and Sammy, and the Sheriff, even Derek.

He has something to live for.

And it makes all the difference in the world.

* * *

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